Abstract
Ten intertidal salt marshes along the Rhode Island coast were sampled and compared in terms of the relative standing crop and height of tallSpartina alterniflora, density of shoots, seed production and size, fish populations, and the abundance of grass shrimp, fiddler crabs, insects, and birds. The marshes ranged from 0.49 to 52.61 hectares (1.2 to 130 acres) and included fringe marsh in dense urban developments as well as unspoiled waterfowl preserves in rural isolation. Large variation in most parameters made it impossible to separate the sites with statistical significance using either univariate or multivariate techniques. Moreover, there was little meaningful intercorrelation among the parameters. Although more intensive sampling might make it possible to separate individual marshes with statistical rigor, these results suggest that the necessary effort may be too great to allow comparative field sampling to play a practical part in wetlands evaluation programs. The results also indicate that there is little, if any, correlation between visual esthetic perceptions of a marsh and its ecological characteristics. This work suggests that the development of ecological rating systems will not provide a reliable tool for the management of coastal wetlands.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Chardy, P., M. Glemarec, and A. Laurec. 1976. Application of inertia methods to benthic marine ecology: practical implications of the basic options. Est. and Coastal Mar. Sci. 4:179–205.
Colton, J.B., and R.R. Morak. 1969. Guide for identifying common planktonic fish eggs and larvae of continental shelf waters, Cape Sable to Block Island. Bureau Comm. Fish., Woods Hole, MA, Lab. Ref. No. 69-9.
David, M., C. Campiglio, and R. Darling. 1974. Progresses in R- and Q- mode analysis: correspondence analysis and its application to the study of geological processes. Can. J. Earth Sci. 11:131–146.
Gosselink, J.G., E.P. Odum, and R.M. Pope. 1974. The value of the tidal marsh. Center for Wetland Resources, Louisiana State University. LSU-SG-74-03 30 p.
Halvorson, W.L., and W. Gardiner. 1975. Rhode Island tidal marshes. Report to the R.I. Coastal Resources Center, 9 pp.
Hildebrand, S.F. 1922. Notes on habits and development of eggs and larvae of the silversidesMenidia menidia andMenidia beryllina. Bull. Mar. Fisheries Bureau 38:113–130.
Isard, W., C.L. Cohoguill, J. Kisson, R.H. Seyforth, R. Tatlock 1972. Ecologic-economic analysis for regional development. The Free Press, New York, 220 pp.
Lee, V. In Preparation. Net Nutrient Fluxes Between Marsh Sediments and Tidal Waters. M.S. Thesis, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I.
Lucid, V.J. 1971. Utilization of Bissel Cove salt marsh by birds of the families Anatidae and Laridae. M.S. Thesis, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, R.I, 84 pp.
Malmgren, B, C. Oviatt, R. Gerber, and H.P.Jeffries. In press. Correspondence analysis: applications to biological oceanographic data. Est. and Coastal Mar. Sci.
Nixon, S.W., and C.A. Oviatt. 1973a. Ecology of a New England Salt Majsh. Ecol. Monogr. 43(4):463–498.
Nixon, S.W., and C.A. Oviatt, 1973b. Analysis of local variation in the standing crop ofSpartina alterniflora. Botanica Marina XVI:103–109.
Nixon, S.W. In Press. Convener's comments and collected papers: coupling of coastal wetlands and offshore waters I: Nutrients. Proc. 3rd Int. Estuarine Res. Conf., Galveston, Texas. Academic Press. New York.
Nixon, S.W., C.A. Oviatt, J. Garber, and V. Lee. 1976. Diel metabolism and nutrient dynamics in a salt marsh embayment. Ecology 57(4):740–750.
Odum, W.E., and S.S. Skjei. 1974. The issue of wetlands preservation and management: A second view. Coastal Zone Management Journal 1(2):151–163.
Orwell, G. 1946. Animal Farm. Harcourt Brace and Co., Inc. New York, 128 pp.
Pope, R.M., and J.G. Gosselink. 1973. A tool for use in making land management decisions involving tidal marsh land. Coastal Zone Management Journal 1(1):65–74.
Vince, S., and I. Valiela. 1975. Response of herbivores to nitrogen enriched grasses in experimentally fertilized salt marshes plots. ASLO Annual Meeting Abstracts. Unpaginated.
Walker, R.A. 1973. Wetland preservation and management on Chesapeake Bay: The role of science in natural resource policy. Coastal Zone Management Journal 1(1):75–101.
Walker, R.A. 1974. Wetlands preservation and management: A rejoinder-economics, science and beyond. Coastal Zone Management Journal 1(2):227–237.
Welsh, B.L. 1975. The role of grass shrimp,Palaemonetes pugio, in a tidal marsh ecosystem. Ecology 56:513–530.
Williams, R.B., and M.B. Murdoch. 1969. The potential importance ofSpartina alterniflora in conveying zinc, manganese, and iron into estuarine food chains. Pages 431–439in D.J. Nelson and F.C. Evans, eds. Proceedings of the Second National Symposium on Radioecology, AEC. CONF-670503, USAEC, (TID-4500).
Wolf, P.L., S.F. Shanholtzer, and R.J. Reimold, 1972. Population estimates forUca pugnax on the Dauplin estuary marsh. Abstract, Manuscript presented at the 35th Annual Meeting, ASLO.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ovlatt, C.A., Nixon, S.W. & Garber, J. Variation and evaluation of coastal salt marshes. Environmental Management 1, 201–211 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01867284
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01867284